A poll released by WMUR in New Hampshire shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney crushing the Republican presidential field in the Granite State, home of the first presidential primary.

Romney pulled 40 percent while former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani placed a surprising second with 10 percent. Two former governors—Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas—tied for third with 7 percent followed by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin with 6 percent. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas came in seventh with 5 percent, businessman Donald Trump placed eighth with 3 percent and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Gov. Haley Barbour pulled in 1 percent each…Trump talked about his conservatism on Fox News this week, insisting it extends to social issues including opposing same-sex marriage. News reports reveal that Trump, who had flirted with seeking the Reform Party presidential nomination in 2000, did not change his party registration from Democratic to Republican until 2009…Keep an eye on Iowa in March when some of the possible Republican hopefuls head out to the state Faith & Freedom Coalition’s meeting on March 7. Some of the possible Republican candidates—including Pawlenty, Santorum, businessman Herman Cain and former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana—have already confirmed that they will attend…

 

While retiring U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona said he was not interested in seeking the Republican presidential nomination, he would be open to the vice-presidential spot. Kyl said he would consider serving if asked by whoever emerged as the GOP’s presidential nominee but downplayed the chances that he would be asked…While his name received some attention earlier in the month when reports emerged that political insiders were urging him to compete for the Republican presidential nomination, former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley has done little since then to promote a possible campaign…Huckabee, who ran for the nomination in 2008, repeated his support of the Fair Tax in a message sent out to supporters on Monday…

Democratic U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich made a bit of a stir this weekend when he said that a progressive should challenge President Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination, arguing that it would make Obama a better candidate and raise neglected issues. However Kucinich, who ran for the Democratic nomination in both 2004 and 2008, insisted he would not take on Obama and was instead focused on running for an eighth term in Congress…One good sign for Obama’s chances to escape a major primary battle like those that helped sink Gerald Ford in 1976, Jimmy Carter in 1980 and George H.W. Bush in 1992? Progressives and liberals have not been excoriating the president for the budget proposal he unveiled on Monday…Obama will host members of the DNC at the White House on February 25 during the Democrats’ winter meeting. Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx will talk to DNC members about his city’s plans to host the party’s 2012 convention…

 

While Republicans dominated the Conservative Politcal Action Conference held in Washington last week, representatives from other parties, including the Libertarians and the Reform Party, were also on hand…Wayne Allyn Root, who was former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr’s running mate on the 2008 Libertarian presidential ticket and a favorite for the party’s nomination in 2012, hammered Obama in a piece at Newsmax, arguing that the president’s move to the center was politically motivated and did not represent a change in Obama’s positions…The Constitution Party will be holding their national political convention in Nashville in 2012. While no candidate has emerged yet to seek the party’s nomination (and 2008 nominee Chuck Baldwin did not declare until right before the convention), former Graham County, Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack will be speaking to the party at a meeting in Harrisburg, PA in April.

Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859

A poll released by WMUR in New Hampshire shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney crushing the Republican presidential field in the Granite State, home of the first presidential primary.

Romney pulled 40 percent while former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani placed a surprising second with 10 percent. Two former governors—Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas—tied for third with 7 percent followed by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin with 6 percent. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas came in seventh with 5 percent, businessman Donald Trump placed eighth with 3 percent and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Gov. Haley Barbour pulled in 1 percent each…Trump talked about his conservatism on Fox News this week, insisting it extends to social issues including opposing same-sex marriage. News reports reveal that Trump, who had flirted with seeking the Reform Party presidential nomination in 2000, did not change his party registration from Democratic to Republican until 2009…Keep an eye on Iowa in March when some of the possible Republican hopefuls head out to the state Faith & Freedom Coalition’s meeting on March 7. Some of the possible Republican candidates—including Pawlenty, Santorum, businessman Herman Cain and former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana—have already confirmed that they will attend…

 

While retiring U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona said he was not interested in seeking the Republican presidential nomination, he would be open to the vice-presidential spot. Kyl said he would consider serving if asked by whoever emerged as the GOP’s presidential nominee but downplayed the chances that he would be asked…While his name received some attention earlier in the month when reports emerged that political insiders were urging him to compete for the Republican presidential nomination, former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley has done little since then to promote a possible campaign…Huckabee, who ran for the nomination in 2008, repeated his support of the Fair Tax in a message sent out to supporters on Monday…

Democratic U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich made a bit of a stir this weekend when he said that a progressive should challenge President Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination, arguing that it would make Obama a better candidate and raise neglected issues. However Kucinich, who ran for the Democratic nomination in both 2004 and 2008, insisted he would not take on Obama and was instead focused on running for an eighth term in Congress…One good sign for Obama’s chances to escape a major primary battle like those that helped sink Gerald Ford in 1976, Jimmy Carter in 1980 and George H.W. Bush in 1992? Progressives and liberals have not been excoriating the president for the budget proposal he unveiled on Monday…Obama will host members of the DNC at the White House on February 25 during the Democrats’ winter meeting. Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx will talk to DNC members about his city’s plans to host the party’s 2012 convention…

 

While Republicans dominated the Conservative Politcal Action Conference held in Washington last week, representatives from other parties, including the Libertarians and the Reform Party, were also on hand…Wayne Allyn Root, who was former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr’s running mate on the 2008 Libertarian presidential ticket and a favorite for the party’s nomination in 2012, hammered Obama in a piece at Newsmax, arguing that the president’s move to the center was politically motivated and did not represent a change in Obama’s positions…The Constitution Party will be holding their national political convention in Nashville in 2012. While no candidate has emerged yet to seek the party’s nomination (and 2008 nominee Chuck Baldwin did not declare until right before the convention), former Graham County, Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack will be speaking to the party at a meeting in Harrisburg, PA in April.

Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859<-->